Metamorphosis
by Hikarumeaningradiance
Summary: Enter Rei: freshman, Iwatobi University, art history major. Enter Nagisa: sophomore, Iwatobi University, fashion major. Enter dark secrets and alliances where no one can be trusted and everyone is both an ally and an enemy. Enter denial, love, angst, and violence. Now express it visually. (ReixNagisa)(HarukaxRin)(NitorixMomotarou)(MakotoxSousuke)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: after continuous debating, I have finally decided to create this...inspired by my trip to an art museum in Italy, this is the brainchild of my fujoshi alter ego. It makes more sense as the story goes on, I promise ^^**

**Song for this chapter: Shock by B2ST**

**Hikaru out~**

Art was like fire. It spread out and around from the source in so many ways, warping everything it touched. It destroyed things to make way for the new pioneers. It was a limitation, the beginning and ending of someone's story. It made some feel inadequate while making others feel superior. More than survival of the fittest, it was the predator and prey. Conquer the prey, and your purpose is fulfilled. Art was capable of human emotion, with its ability to hurt while hurting others. It was a weapon of the deadliest kind, the kind that would affect everyone in different ways. But it was a method of freedom so risky that it could consume you. Those who ventured into this terrain of uncertainty were true soldiers. Except Ryugazaki Rei, that is. He stood on the edge of the battlefield, wanting to jump into the fight but afraid of the outcome.

6:15 a.m. The alarm buzzed silently, and a head instantly shot out from under the covers. The boy ran one hand through his messy blue locks while the other groped around the bedside table for his glasses. _1 hour and 46 minutes left_. He slowly slid one pajama clad leg to the floor and then the other, into strategically placed slippers. _If I leave now, I will have 20 minutes to myself in the bathroom. No distractions._ He quickly walked across the darkened room with confidence as he had memorized the arrangement of his dorm the night before. Once he reached the door, he raised a hand and pulled a silicon shower bag off a hook. _The knob is creaky, turn it 45 degrees to the right and then pull._ Running these calculations through his head, he turned the knob as to not wake his roommate, and slipped into the lit hallway. He took a breath. _Here he was, finally, a freshman at Iwatobi University, finally out of the clasp that his parents had on him, finally able to make his own decisions._ He constructed a mental map as he followed the signs to the common bathroom, taking note of the corridors that would normally be crowded if he was late. Pulling the shower curtain firmly behind him, he began discarding his clothes, folding them into a neat pile and placing them into a compartment in his waterproof bag. Finally he took off his glasses just as the cold water hit him. He sighed in relief.

His relaxation was only temporary, as the water's temperature dropped from cool to that of liquid ice. Yelping as he fumbled to shut off the water, he hopped from one foot to the other, trying to lessen the amount of skin the water would touch. Finally, he was able to turn off the shower, panting from his efforts. With his eyes still closed, he groped around for his towel.

It wasn't there. His eyes shot open in panic. Here he was, a freshman on his first day of college, shivering in the bathroom without a towel at 6:35 a.m. Could it be worse?

There was only one option to maintain his sanity for the rest of the day. He shook his hand dry and reached for his phone in his bag, cringing at the water droplets his hands made as he swiped his screen. He quickly typed in a few numbers and held his phone to his ear. The call went through, and rang a few times. _He had better pick up. I swear, if that guy was doing who-knows-what the night before school, I will….._ He sighed. After the fourth ring, it was picked up. Rei heard shuffling as the receiver got his bearings together. A deeper voice could be heard in the background, "Who is it?" Rei rolled his eyes. _Of course he would do that the day before school. _

"Eh?" the sleepy voice grunted.

"RIN!"


	2. Chapter 2

**~HMR~**

**Woow. Chapter two already. Shocker, but I am not the best at maintaining a constant updating schedule. As of now, I work at a coffee shop, so I unnecessarily end up spending a lot of money in order to use the free wifi. Pathetic, I know...anyyywayyy**

**Sit back, pick up a cup of coffee or tea, and enjoy!**

**Song inspiration: Don't Leave by GD&TOP (i swear the club feel makes me get the feels)**

Chapter 2:

5:00 a.m.

The boy groaned softly as he stretched his pale arms in front of him, clearly exhausted. Pulling an all-nighter right before school started was one of the most stupid things he had done so far. And he had done A LOT of stupid things. If he had to write one more word about the reason why asexual reproduction in coral was effective, he would go to the damn ocean and destroy those damn creatures himself. What was the point of learning about coral anyway? Why couldn't nature pick either a plant or animal? Why some freaky hybrid? And what was with his teacher and asexual reproduction? That shit was random. Why couldn't they just get a dick and do the deed? A sudden beep penetrating his thought process. He winced at the sudden light flashing on his phone, eyes still accustomed to the dim glow emanating from his laptop screen. He slowly stood up with shaky legs from his swivel chair. _What is this life?_ he thought as he rubbed his tired eyes with the back of his hand, trying and failing to suppress a yawn. He sat back down as he attempted to submit the last-minute essay he had thought up a mere four hours ago.

"SUBMISSION DENIED" flashed in red across the screen. Lips moving into a frown, he scrolled to the bottom of the page, trying to see what was wrong. _Sophomore year was supposed to be bearable! _"Submissions due September 29, 20XX, 5:00 a.m." He took a look at his desktop clock, frown deepening. The clock, almost smugly, read 5:01 a.m.

"FUCK!" he swore loudly, not caring if he woke his roommate, the bastard slept too much anyway.

_That's it. _He slammed his head onto the desk. _I, Nagisa Hazuki, am a fucking hot mess._

**~HikaruMeaningRadiance~**

Nightmares plagued him the second his eyes closed. He saw flashed of the past he so desperately wanted to run away from. A bloodied hand, reaching for him. A pleading voice, begging him to stop. Those beautiful purple eyes he loved glassy and unstaring, their owner's body mangled beyond recognition. _Stop! _he wanted to shout. But his voice was useless in these dreams. It was not worth it to even try. He just had to wait out the horror.

His eyes burst open as a hand shook him out of his turmoil. He glanced up to see worried gray eyes peering down at him."Nagisa! Are you okay?" He jumped.

"Oh. Ai. I'm fine." The eyes squinted down at him, as if the boy could see into Nagisa's head. Which he probably could, as he majored in psychology. He had to be more careful from now on.

As if on cue, the gray eyed boy declared loudly, "No you're not! Nagisa, I've known you since high school, give me credit." he pouted. It was true. Aichiiro Nitori had been there for him since high school, the victim of much teasing, but remained Nagisa's rock in life when times got hard and he was ready to give up. The role of psychologist was fitting for him with his kindly disposition, gray eyes and hair, and caring personality. He felt lucky to have one of his closest friends as his roommate.

Aichiiro's voice turned professional again as he chided his friend. "Nagisa, you better not have a 8:00 class today."

The blond's eyes widened. "What, why?"

The gray-haired boy pinched the bridge of his nose and rolled his eyes in irritation.

"What?" Nagisa was beginning to freak out. Aichiiro gestured with his thumb at the desktop clock. It read 7:55 a.m. His first class, fashion design, was at 8:00 a.m. in a classroom that was a mile away.

"FUCK!" Nagisa wailed as he scrambled to get his belongings together, leaving a chuckling boy in his wake.

**damn. one more done. pretty proud of myself for doing this in one sitting. Enjoy, dears. **


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I would like to thank my kouhais and senpais for their support and assistance in helping me create unique yet relevant portrayals of these characters.**

**Can I just dissolve into a puddle of moe b/c of my brother. he bought me and himself Rei and Nagisa keychains because "they look cute together". **

**Corruption. Completed. yess.**

**Warning: language**

**~HMR~**

Nagisa took no note of his surroundings as he sprinted across the campus to the arts and sciences building. The tall spires of the literature building that he was so fascinated with as a freshman were just a blur in his periphery as he raced by, counting on his toned legs to carry him all the way in time. Bangs pinned back, glasses perched on his nose, he looked like a man on a mission. His blazer and white shirt oozed class and professionalism as he raced by freshmen caught in the splendor of the campus.

There. Finally. A few meters ahead, he saw the steel and glass cylinder of the Hazuki Hall. Funded and donated entirely by his family, the building housed professional tools and equipment for any arts major to get familiar with the ideal workplace. Laptop bag swinging wildly from his shoulder, he panted as he ran the last few steps up the stairs, forcing the door open and jumping in. A blast of the air conditioner dried off any sweat that was beginning to form on his forehead. leaning against the doorway, he placed his hands on his knees, taking deep breaths to calm down his racing heart. He glanced up at a clock with more mirrors than numerals on the wall and breathed a sigh of relief. _T__wo minutes early. _It was a new record. _  
><em>

~HMR (linebreak of all linebreaks)~

Rei's evenly paced walk was a bit unsettling to watch as the rest of the freshmen were frantically rushing to class. He smirked at his two advantages. He knew the amount of time he would take, and he knew how to get there. Two more advantages than the average freshman. It was all thanks to Rin and his boyfriend, Haruka, for letting him visit during their freshman year. Rei genuinely felt lucky to be in the same college as people who knew him inside and out, and who knew how to survive in such a setting. Rei had known Rin since he moved next door to him when Rei was in the 5th grade. Being one year older did not deter him from forming a strong bond of friendship with the blunette, defending him from bullies who made fun of his flamboyant nature. Haruka was Rin's childhood friend from the town that Rin had moved from in the 6th grade. Rei was there when Haruka moved to Rei's city when Rin was seventeen. He was there when those long years of separation had finally taken its toll, when those two decided to dig up everything that had gone wrong between them. He felt left out, but he didn't care. What he knew was that the two dorks REALLY cared about each other, but were too thickheaded to realize it. So he played the role of matchmaker, dropping a few clever hints here and there until they figured out their feelings. And then he spent another week comforting an agonized Rin on how to ask out the other boy. It had never bothered him that his best friend was dating another boy. To him, it just was two people who loved each other, despite how thickheaded they were. Haruka was originally wary of Rei's closeness to his boyfriend, but realized that the bluenette was harmless when he saw the blind adoration the younger boy had for Haruka's talent in swimming. Rei grew close to both boys becoming a sort of younger brother to the two of them. It was because of this that they allowed him to visit them during their freshman year, and the reason why Rei was so happy to be attending Iwatobi University.

Take this morning's embarrassing distress call, for example. Had it been any other person, both Rin and Haru would have told them to fuck off, and then gone to the bathroom just to get a laugh out of it. Because it was Rei, Rin didn't get mad. He just fondly chuckled to himself, and he got a towel for the boy shivering in the bathroom. It was not all kindness however. Rin HAD to get something out of it, so he ripped the curtain open, eliciting a scream from the bluenette in the corner. Then he proceeded to tell him every single explicit detail that he and his boyfriend would have been doing had Rei not called them. Haru raised his phone, snapping a picture of the bright red that blossomed across Rei's face, taking a mental note to save it for future blackmail. Rei grimaced. He had to find the photo and delete it before that idiot Rin decided to print copies.

He pushed his glasses up with his thumb and index finger, taking carefully measured strides toward the glass door of the arts and sciences building. Why they would have an art history class in a science building, he didn't know. Not that it mattered. Actually, it was a benefit. The building was a donation of the esteemed Hazuki family, well-known art collectors and owners of the Iwatobi Recollection of the Arts, a gallery of the world's greatest works of art, ancient and modern. Many a time when the stress from school was overwhelming, Rei had found himself inside the gallery, lost in the vibrant expression of human emotion.

Five minutes till class starts. His breathing quickened. He was about to enter the jewel department of the university, the greatest modern architectural feat of the region. The glass doors glistened in the early morning sun, beckoning him to open them to reveal the magical world inside. He reached out, grasped the handle, and pulled….and then nothing. The doors did not budge. His brain went into overdrive. What if I came too late? What if this is the wrong building? What's going to happen now? His palms began sweating, and his face flushed. He adjusted his glasses nervously.

As his vision focused, Rei could make out a figure on the other side of the glass, leaning against it, a person with fluffy blonde hair, blocking his only entrance to the building of his dreams. _How about no._ Rei hesitantly raised a hand up to the glass, knocking softly, once, then twice, and then with greater intensity as the blonde remained oblivious to his efforts. He nervously checked the red watch on his wrist, face falling as he realized how much time he had left. Those damn hands revealed that he had only two minutes left till class. He glanced at his hands, as if visually assessing their strength. _ Those strength training sessions over summer had better be useful now._ "Angle, forty five degrees. mass: fifty-four kilograms. acceleration: 9.8sinforty-five." He grasped the handle and slammed into it violently, letting his body roll into the motion to displace the person on the other side. The door opened with a bang, knocking the blond, a slim boy, forward. The blond hit the floor, curling up in the fetal position, hands cupping his face._  
><em>

He turned around to face Rei with a glare that could burn him to a crisp. Rei didn't see that. He saw soft blond curls perfectly framing an elflike alabaster face. He saw magenta eyes, with long lashes. He saw pink, pouting lips. And then he saw the angry flush that was spreading across the boy's face.

"Oh, shit."

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><p><strong>daaaang that felt good. sorry for not updating in a long time, I was freaking out about the sheer amount of work my sadistic teachers like to bombard me with. It's all been here, just on google drive, my phone, just not put together. <strong>

**Thanks for sticking around!**

**~Hikaru out~**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N**

**Hikaru here! So, after thorough ****fangirling**** ahem...RESEARCH of various fanfiction (all in the name of literary progress, I tell you) I have concluded that my chapters are, unfortunately, VERY SHORT. I feel bad, because I want to share more of Rei and Nagisa to people, but there's this one little voice in my head telling me, "Don't give away everything, ya piece of shit." So I listen to that. I stop my chapters when I feel that they should be stopped, which is the reason why I draft and redraft my chapters before submitting them...**

**If you see a spelling or grammatical error, please let me know via PM or review :)**

**Now for the whole backstory of this chapter: I'm reading ****The Scarlet Letter **** and, contrary to what many people think of classics, it's actually quite good. I wish Hester maintained her badassery throughout the book though...I hope I didn't just insult a book. Nathaniel Hawthorne, wherever you are, please do not haunt me for the rest of my life. I mean this in all good nature, I promise. So...(went off on a total tangent) one of the really cool add-ons to the actual story are references to the 19th century philosophy of anti-transcendentalism and (my favorite) the use of pathetic fallacy (love those words). I want to use techniques like that, maybe improve my style a bit, huh? I promise, no forests lighting up :3**

**Song for this chapter: Funny Group from Free! OST (yes, I know, no creativity whatsoever)**

**Enjoy! ~Hikaru**

Rei's mind wandered while he was in class, the teacher's lecture on Renaissance linear perspective a dull, muffled sounds compared to the frenzy of ideas flooding his brain.

Who was he? Rei KNEW that he had seen those fiery magenta eyes before. He didn't even register the glare the boy gave him as he awkwardly adjusted his glasses. Only one thought ran through his mind as he fought to keep his face expressionless. Beautiful.

"- Rei Ryugazaki, if you'd care to elaborate." The professor's voice jolted him out of his thoughts of blond curls and magenta eyes. He pushed up his glasses, looking around, utterly confused.

"Me?" He pointed to himself with a flustered expression on his face.

"Yes, you." The professor's lips tilted up as he flicked his head to push his bleached bangs out of his eyes. With the bleached hair and the designed undercut, Goro Sasabe looked more like a thug than an esteemed instructor of art history. There was no backing out now. He was caught.

"Um," he swallowed. "what was the question again?" The last part came out as a low whine as Rei's face burned and his gaze dropped to the floor. First impression ruined. Damn that blond cherub. He looked up from a bright red spiral on the carpeting to his classmates' laughter. Professor Sasabe smile warmly.

"No need to be shy. We all have our bad days." He pointed to a red book on Rei's desk, still unopened." If you go to page 394, you will see a picture. Rei quickly flipped to the page and instantly blushed. "Can you explain the artist's motives behind this picture and how it shows a reflection of the society of Pompeii?"

"Uh." A crimson flush had painted itself across the bluenette's face as he stared at the picture. It was one of the ancient Roman frescoes from a brothel in Pompeii, as stated in the caption below it. It wasn't the fact that it came from such a place, it was what the picture was depicting. Looking carefully at the picture, it was obvious to see that it showed two men in the throes of passion. The blush remained as his eyes caught an obvious phallic symbol at the corner of the page. "I...uh...think that the artist...was adding to the...open idea of brothels as...fertility...and that sex between guys was...uh...more accepted than today's society." His face had taken on the shade of his red glasses as he tried to anywhere except where his teacher was standing with a smirk on his face. He eventually resorted to hiding his face in his hands, giving up on hiding his expression.

The rest of the class went by in a blur as he tried to not make eye contact with the rest of his classmates, not after his fuck up answering the question. Mr. Sasabe gave him an encouraging smile as he walked out the door. "Remember, students, that art is not just the author's idea, it is an experience of self reflection for the viewer. This classroom is open for discussions and is a place of tolerance to any preferences a student may have." Mr. Sasabe called out after them. What a weird teacher. He swung his bag over his shoulder as he walked out of the room. A hand clapped him on the shoulder as he reached the door to the Hazuki Hall. Flinching violently, he turned to see who had interrupted his flow. A tall brunette grinned sheepishly at him.

"Sorry for scaring you." His voice was gentle, like waves lapping at the shore. His genuine smile put Rei at ease. "That was some explanation you gave in class, heh." he chuckled as Rei stiffened, eyes darkening.

"If you don't mind, I have another class to go to." He tried to push through the crowd to the door as the boy's hand caught him again on his shoulder. "What?"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to make fun of you." He rubbed the back of his neck. "It was cool how you tried to explain a topic that you weren't familiar with." He stuck out his hand. "Makoto Tachibana."

"Rei Ryugazaki." The handshake was surprisingly firm, for such a gentle person.. Rei figured that there was more to this kid than he let on.

"Rei? Isn't that a girl's name?" Makoto cocked his head to the side. Rei frowned.

"Isn't Makoto a girl's name?" he growled out. Sensing the tension, Makoto laughed.

"No, no, I didn't mean it that way!" He gesticulated as emphasis. "I'm happy that there's more people who have girly names like me. You wouldn't believe the amount of teasing I had to go through in high school for that." Rolling his eyes, Makoto placed his hands on his hips and pouted like a drag queen. Even Rei couldn't stop himself. The corners of his mouth twitched up, betraying his stoic mask.

"Ah!" Makoto gasped.

"What?!" Rei jumped at the sudden sound.

"You smiled!" Makoto poked his new friend?'s cheek. "You should do that more often."

Rei would deny it till the day he died, but he was thankful for Makoto being there.

* * *

><p>They were quick to realize that they shared all their classes, and Makoto's insistence that Rei sit next to him made the bluenette feel wanted. After so long. He relaxed in his seat, sighing contentedly, listening to Makoto's expressive voice weave elaborate stories of his past.<p>

Their classes for the day ended at 12:45, with Rei stretching like a cat as he got up from his seat. His notebook was full of intricately solved equations, his handwriting as neat as ever. Makoto pulled him out of his chair. "Rei!"

"Hm?"  
>"Who's that?" Makoto's eyes were locked onto a tall boy in the front of the class. Rei recognized him instantly as the cockblock whose only purpose was to make sure Rin and Haruka were split up. Many a night were wasted to try to distract him while Rin and Haru snuck out on a date. Rei held no kindness for him whatsoever.<p>

"Sousuke Yamazaki." Rei spat out venomously. He remembered those nights when he had to be on guard duty for Rin and Haruka. He remembered the humiliation and the fear he felt when he was caught. He hid all that behind a mask of indifference which was quickly lost when he caught sight of Makoto's expression. The teen's eyes were wide open and sparkling, and a blush started forming across his face. Who knew that Makoto swung that way? He cleared his throat awkwardly. Makoto finally realized that Rei was still there and flushed bright red.

"U-Uh i-it's not like I was staring at him or anything." Makoto shook his head in denial and sputtered out.

"Enjoying the view?" Makoto jumped in surprise as he came face to face with the very teen that had caught his attention. Teal eyes glistened in mirth as his lips turned into a smirk.

"Yamazaki-senpai!" Makoto stammered and promptly turned crimson. He turned to the side with a look of Save me! in his eyes. Rei fought hard to keep his face impassive. One more expression like that and he would bust out in unmanly giggles.

Sousuke turned to Rei, eyes hardening.

"Ryugazaki." He nodded

"Yamazaki." Rei curtly nodded back.

"I'll be borrowing your friend here, if you don't mind." Sousuke then pulled Makoto out of his cowering position, dragging him by the arm to the exit. Makoto flashed one look of helplessness at Rei before he was out of sight. Rei chuckled. As much of a dick that Yamazaki Sousuke was, he was a good person to be around, smart and reliable. It would do Makoto good to have him around. He stretched and picked up his bag, flipping open his phone to call Rin.

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><p><strong>and there we have it, yet another (somewhat) pairing going :)<strong>

**I sincerely apologize for being so late with updating, I feel awful... just school problems and family problems and other problems *bangs head on computer***

**because of this, I have set up a calendar on my phone to remind myself to haul ass and start updating. It's written, just grossly written...**

**Thank you for reading and happy holidays!**

**~Hikaru~**


	5. Chapter 5

**This is my longest chapter yet :) I'm sorry for the long wait. Exams were getting to me and I just had a few moments when I wanted to just sit back and cry, but this is what the facfiction is for. Escape, no? I really am looking forward to this plot. FINALLY, IT BEGINS!**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter and continue to follow this :) **

**Reviews are like porn to authors, so please review! I love hearing your comments and ideas on this story.**

**~HikaruMeaningRadiance~**

* * *

><p>Rei smiled to himself. It was more of a grimace, really (smiling didn't come easily to him since the beginning of high school.) He started becoming more serious, only relying on his own abilities to make it in the real world. Life was a game. A brutal game, where if you lost you were done for. At least Makoto was happy. The brunette caught up to him thirty minutes after he was called out, flustered and red faced. Having seen that expression on Rin many times before, he didn't question it at all. Currently, he was looking for a certain landmark that held a special place in his heart. Four years ago, he had see someone touch the clouds. The expression of unrestrained bliss on that boy's face was what Rei longed for. And he was going to fly.<p>

He felt the hot sand under his feet as he stepped onto the quarter mile track. He breathed in the air. _The smell of victory._ He looked up to the pole vault and gasped. The same orange hair, the same mischievous eyes that he had seen four years ago. He towered over Rei's crouching form, grinning widely. _It was forced. He's hiding something._ There was a sadness in his eyes that his smile did not reach. "Seijuuro Mikoshiba here, also known as the captain of the track team." he extended a hand to the freshman, who was unable to say anything. "What brings you to the track?"

_Think, Rei. You need to make a good impression._ He clasped the legend's hand in a brief but firm handshake. "My name is Rei Ryugazaki. I had seen your pole vaulting a few years ago, and I am thoroughly impressed by your talent in this field."

"Aww, dang it. You're getting me flustered." The senior rubbed the back of his head and laughed sheepishly. "Never heard someone say that to my face so seriously before, heh."

"I have a question, though." Rei pushed his glasses up in typical Rei fashion.

"Shoot."

"How do you get that expression?"

"Expression?"

"When you go over the beam. You look as if you were meant to be home there."

"I have a different expression during my vault? Wow. Now that you point it out, I probably do look too carefree. I guess it just comes from letting go of all my problems, you know? It's like when you're in the air and you can touch the clouds, finally. At that moment, nothing matters, or even exists, except me and that sky. Anything that bothers me is gone for that fleeting second, and comes crashing back down the second I land, but it's that one second of freedom that I crave." Rei was taken aback at how open this guy was. Here he was, a legend in the making, someone who could just as easily brushed him off for being too intrusive, but he took the time to give a thought out answer to a question that had been nagging Rei for four years.

"You are so lucky." Rei muttered under his breath.

"Come again?" Seijuuro bent over to look at Rei's downturned face.

"Even though you are doing the same thing that all the vaulters do, you can find that spark of happiness there that makes everyone want to succeed."

"I take it that you have a hard time coping with your inner demons, don't you? Let's see if we can make you fly."

Ten minutes later, Rei was outfitted in spare clothes from the athletic teams: short shorts, a loose tank top, and shoes that looked new and fit like a glove. Rei stood with his hands on his hips, staring at the wide expanse of green that the field took up. He had to make this work. Seijuuro clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Now it's your turn. Pick something that you want to try out."

Rei mumbled something incoherently. "Speak up, Ryugazaki. I want to make you feel at home here. You are stuck here for four years, yanno. Might as well make the most of it."

Rei took in a breath. "I..was a..vaulter..in high school." Not the greatest memory he had of high school. The only meet he participated in ended badly, with him running off yet again after failing to clear the beam. He had secretly practiced many times after, but that childish hope that with practice, everything would work was gone. He knew only cold, hard facts, and the evil in human nature was one of them.

"Woah! You vaulted? Come on then, what are we waiting for?" The captain tugged on his arm, urging the bluenette to follow him to the vault. Rei selected a pole out of the many lying on the ground. "A good eye, I see." Seijuuro grinned. Rei selected one that was cool to the touch, bendable, and felt perfectly balanced in his grip. "Before you start," Seijuuro kept a hand on the freshman's shoulder to prevent him from running off. "think about something extremely happy. Something that you would relive over and over again and not get tired of. Something," he trailed off into a whisper that only Rei could hear, " something that you would never give up for the world." He let go of Rei's shoulder. "I'll go first." Seijuuro squared off his shoulders and bent over to steady his breathing. Rei saw his take out a worn out looking piece of paper from his pocket. No, not a paper. It was a photo. Rei watched silently as the senior brought the photo to his lips and closed his eyes. Seijuuro opened them, with a new look of steely resolve and determination that Rei had never seen before. He sprinted down the track and smacked the pole into the holder, pulling his body to impossibly high heights, all the while with a serene look of bliss on his face. The second he landed, however, his eyes were darker, with a look of restraint in them. He was right. That one moment where he let go was that moment of realization for Rei. He picked up the pole that had been unknowingly dropped in the process of watching a genius at work. He held it tightly and took a few deep breaths, squeezing his eyes shut in concentration. _Set the angle of approach to theta and factor in the acceleration of my run…don't forget the force of your pole, idiot… perfect._ He opened his eyes slowly, waiting for that perfect moment to rocket off.

He pushed off, sprinting down the ramp in perfect form, pole at the ready. When he came to his calculated position he plunged his pole into the ground, using his momentum to swing himself up. His feet left the ground, his body airborne, at one with the sky. But it was not the same sky.

_He stood on the starting line of the track, shaking with anxiety: his first meet. A scrawny 1st year in high school, he was completely shadowed by the titans on either side of him. He had always been lanky, but this time it was a disadvantage. Only one person in the stands was calling out his name. He looked up. A flash of dark blue hair, with bright red glasses and a cheerful grin that lit up the world. His brother was whistling, cheering as hard as he could to make up for the fact that nobody else cared. Suddenly, two men in suits walked up to his brother, flanking his sides. One whispered in his ear. Rei saw his brother's expression harden, until he locked eyes with his brother. He yelled out "I'll be back before you start! Go kick some ass!" throwing in a thumbs up. Rei shook his head, suddenly even more worried than before. His brother, someone whose smile had never left his face, was serious about something. It had to be pretty major for him to leave. Why was he worrying so much? Ryugazaki Madoka was a police officer after all. He was generous and just, so nothing could hurt him._

_Or so he thought. A few moments later, a gunshot rang out. It wasn't the starting gun. The pole vault didn't even have a starting gun. Rei's heart rate accelerated as his anxiety increased. The starting gun went off, shattering his thoughts. He had to do this. He shot off down the track, feet pounding into the earth. He was halfway airborne when a spectator's scream broke his concentration. "There's a bloody guy outside! I think he's dead!"_

_He came crashing down onto the pole. He would never see that smile again._

"Rei!" He was suddenly aware of a hand shaking his shoulder. Everything hurt, but his legs felt as if they were on fire. "Are you okay?" Seijuuro's worried face came into his vision. Blurry, but still visible.

He tried to sit up, but the pain in his legs was too great. He looked down at them and almost vomited. His left knee was turned at an unnatural angle, slowly purpling from the pressure the bones were putting. Disgusting. He suddenly felt very lightheaded and slumped over. "Hang in there, Rei!" Seijuuro yelled, but it seemed to come from far away. "Nagisa! Get over here! We need to take this kid to the hospital!" In his daze, Rei was still able to hear the captain. Nagisa? Who was..? The last thing he saw before his blacked out was a set of magenta eyes and silky blond hair.

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><p><strong>So sorry to end this on a low note, but this is essential, I promise you *hugs Rei plushie* <strong>

**More importantly, who was Seijuuro's photo of? I will update more frequently now :)**

**~Hikaru out~**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six of Metamorphosis **

**Sorry for not updating in a while, lots of issues, with failing exams and broken laptops... I'll put the rest in the end note to not waste space here, so for now, ENJOYYY**

**A/N : I just reformatted the italics haha. For some reason, when i transfer the file to , it doesn't maintain the same format...sorry...thought I had this down by now (stupid hikaru and her lack of technological skill)**

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><p>Something was off, he knew it. Nagisa watched with wide eyes as the bluenette sprinted down the field. His grip, the stance, everything was wrong. His suspicions were confirmed when he saw the dullness in Rei's eyes. He wanted to shout in warning, but his throat clogged, choking him. He could only watch in horror as the vaulter lost his grip on the pole as he swung over, crashing down to the mat with his leg still hooked over the bar. Adrenaline surged through his veins and before he knew it, he was on his hands and knees, propping up the taller boy. "Nagisa!" Seijuuro's voice was laced with worry and concern. "Take him to the infirmary!" With a knowing glance, the blond looked at the captain, and back at his duffel bag. Seijuuro nodded, and, with shaking legs, walked over to his bag and pulled out a container of pills. With a low huff the shorter boy picked up the bluenette bridal style, as his strong arms betrayed his feminine physique.<p>

"Up we go." He looked back to see the captain sitting on the grass, bottle held limply in hand, staring forlornly at the sky.

Rei was a mess. His leg burned with fire and ice, a nasty combination of pain and fleeting pleasure. He slowly peeled his eyes open, hissing at the bright light that flooded his retinas.

"Wow...you look like a vampire, heh." A familiar set of crimson eyes and scarlet hair came into his line of vision. A hand hesitantly reached out and ruffled his hair. "Gave me quite the scare when i got a call saying that you were in the hospital."

"Phone call? What happened?" Rin's expression changed into one of worry.

"You mean you don't remember?"

"It's fuzzy, but I think I fell?"

"Well, according to Nagisa, you made the biggest flop in the history of the high jump." Rei grimaced as Rin smirked. "Ryugazaki fame tainted for life yet?"

"Close enough," Rei muttered. He shifted uncomfortably and gasped as a red-hot skewer of pain embedded itself in his knee.

"Yeah...about that…" Rin's face was apologetic. "Your knee is busted. Not broken, no." He hastily added at the look of horror on Rei's face. "You can't run, or do much of anything, until it heals up. So no track team." Rei flopped back on the bed.

"Kill me slowly."

"No can do, kid. Doctor's orders." A sleepy voice joined the conversation.

"Haru!" Rin exclaimed. "I thought you'd have left by now."

"Eh? I was taking a nap. Being up for forty-eight hours does a number on you." _Forty-eight hours?_ Rei gulped. Seeing the guilty look on the freshman's face, Rin smirked. "See what you did here? I won't be able to do anything with him now. You're gonna pay for that." Rin laughed at the look of sheer horror on Rei's face. He blanched as Haru keeled over and promptly began snoring at the foot of his bed.

"So, about the person that brought you here." Rin's voice dropped to a whisper.

"Person? Didn't Captain Mikoshiba just call an ambulance?" Rin laughed.

"The day Seijuuro Mikoshiba approaches an injured person is the day I run down the dorm hall in my underwear."

"So who called?"

"Hazuki Nagisa."

"Who?"

"Sophomore, blond, fashionable, scary as fuck." Sounds like the guy I ran into this morning. _How the fuck did he know about the accident?_

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><p>"Ehhh?!" You fell off the pole vault?" Makoto's worried expression brought a smile to Rei's face.<p>

"It's okay, I'll just not be able to do track for the rest of the year." Makoto was sympathetic as he pulled out a stuffed animal from his backpack.

"I know it's a bit lame, and that you're probably too old for this kind of thing, but when I get sick or injured, my friend Haru usually brings me a stuffed animal as a 'get better!' present."

Rei, who was in the middle of swallowing his painkillers, promptly spit out the water. "Haru?!" he choked out.

"Yeah, he's been my friend since I was in fifth grade. You know him?"

Rei wheezed and held up his hand to stop Makoto from rushing to his side. Once he caught his breath, he spoke softly. "Yeah, I knew him since he moved back to Iwatobi. Mostly because of Rin."

"You know Rin, too?" Makoto smiled widely. "Then you know almost all the members of the swim team!"

"Swim team, eh?" Great, another athletic person to make me feel insanely fragile.

"-it's super difficult, and sometimes Haru-chan gets really sadistic with our training, but most of the time it's fun…" Makoto was talking, but Rei paid him no attention. _Now he's going to tell me that I should join the team. So. Cliche._ "-so, like I was saying, we need another member to officially compete so, when you're better, do you want to try?" _Of course. How typical._

"No thank you. " Rei's voice was curt and unforgiving. No way in hell am I going to go there.

"Eh? Why?" Makoto pushed his bangs out of his eyes and looked up at Rei.

"It's ugly." Nice save, Rei.

"Whaaat?" Makoto was genuinely curious. "You know that swimming is used in rehab, right? You're going to have to do it anyway."

"I'll take my chances."

"Just tryyyyy." Makoto whined out. "Because Rin said he'd leak some photo he took of you." _Oh crap. THAT PHOTO. Fucking hell. I thought Haru deleted it...that bastard._

"Never mind what I said. When does practice start?" Rei muttered out. _Rin had better start running._

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><p><strong>AN Let me just start off on a rant. Do you know how freaking annoying it is when you have something written that took hours and hours of research and time and one person decides to go all technical on it and call out every flaw? It bugs me when people think I can handle any sort of criticism and feel the need to shoot every possible insult at my writing style. Ugh. Rant over. **

**Also...I haven't updated in a while because I kinda lost faith in this. I remember being so excited about writing this, that this would be the crowning glory to my fangirl persona. But nobody seemed to care, and I remember (my really low point) of forcing my cousin to read it. I know there are a lot of college fics out there, and this may seem like just another fish in the sea, but I promise you, I will make this exciting. Thank you to my new followers ^^ Hikaru loves all y'all 3**


	7. Chapter 7

**I really felt this chapter, guys. Listening to Shingeki no Kyojin OSTs and military music really does something to m motivation level, I tell you. Chapter 7.**

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><p>Aichiiro Nitori came back from the clinic he interned at to see his best friend huddled up in a corner of their room, the lights off. In one swift motion, he scooped up the blond, who was curled in the fetal position, and depositing him on the bed. Nagisa firmly held on to his phone like it was his lifeline. "What happened?" Nitori murmured as he rubbed soothing circles on the blond's back.<p>

"It's him." Nagisa hiccupped as tears glistened in his eyes. "He says that Mom's pregnant again, and it's a girl." Nitori's mouth dropped in shock.

"Oh no." In normal families, someone being pregnant would be a cause of joy, unless that family was the Hazuki family. Daughters born in the Hazuki household would either join the sick underground empire that their parents had built, or get thrown into the same servitude that they were supposed to command. Nagisa's oldest sister, Natsume, was a clear example. The girl was smart and charismatic, exactly the kind of person the Hazukis wanted as the face of their corporation. Once she learned of the dirty work that went underneath the vast sums of money she was so used to, she was disgusted and studied to become a lawyer. She ran away from home when she graduated high school to become a law student. "Do me a favor, will you?" she had asked him the day she left. "Don't let their poison get to you. I know it's scary, but you have to stand up for what's right, not what's easy." Nagisa had cried that day, knowing that his only role model in life was gone forever. But she wasn't. In the summer of Nagisa's fourteenth year, three years after she had run away, the young master went with his father to learn the ways of the art industry. Only when he had been taken down into the basement of his family's gallery did he realize exactly what his sister had warned him against. Bound and bleeding from gashes, shackled to the back wall, was his sister. He refused to make eye contact with her. He remembered the men sitting around the podium, with hungry looks directed at the once regal Natsume Hazuki. Her navy business suit was ripped, exposing parts of her body that she never dared to show. He remembered the sour laugh of his father as he placed a price on her. "A fine specimen we have here. Purebred of the Hazuki family, virgin bitch." He slapped her across the face to the laughs of the men. "A little fiery, but nothing that we can't control, eh boys?" Cheers resounded around the dimly-lit room. Nagisa could only watch, speechless, as his sister was bid on for her body. The man who finally got her had paid the large sum of a million dollars and roughly unshackled her and dragged her behind him. She looked up at her brother then, and what he saw was etched in his mind forever. As she was dragged off to her doom by a man with unclean intentions, her face betrayed no fear. In that one instant that their eyes met, Nagisa realized what he should have been doing while she was gone. A few moments later, as he and his father made their way up the cramped spiral staircase to the ground floor of the Hazuki Galleria, he heard the screams. His chest tightened with each hoarse plea for mercy that his sister choked out. "This is what happens when little children disobey their parents." his father had said.

Nitori knew all this, as his family's success in the medical field made them valuable allies. They remained relatively ignorant to the shady side business that engaged in the dark corners of the Hazuki Corporation, but they had their suspicions. Nitori had known Nagisa since they were were young children, and the blond's bubbly nature was like a magnet to Nitori's introverted personality. Nagisa brought out the best in him, until he ran away from his family. Nitori didn't know all the details, but he remembered the feeling of his heart almost stopping when he opened the door at 3 a.m. one morning to Nagisa crying his eyes out, covered in blood and bruises. Their friendship had only grown stronger since then. Nitori had given up his scholarship to a university abroad and was paying his way through Iwatobi University just to keep an eye on Nagisa and to protect him from his family. Even when Nagisa had come out to him during their freshman year, he wasn't surprised. Living with the blond for two years revealed a lot about him. And if their proximity didn't, his internet history did. Nitori did not want to remember the amount of time he wanted to gouge out his eyes because of something Nagisa left running.

With all this in mind, Nitori was keenly aware of Nagisa's fragility. It was like Seijuuro's, since both had lost a sibling that meant the world to them. The two were very sensitive, yet their cold exteriors prevented them from getting close to other people. The long hours that he had put into studying psychology paid off when the two ice queens begged him for help. Nagisa, in particular, was very broken from what he had experienced before, and Nitori treated the blond like his own brother, which helped Nagisa get out of his shell more. And now it was all ruined. _Son of a bitch. Why the hell does he have to traumatize his kid more than what he already did?_

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><p>Rei was slowly getting better. He felt it as he got up every morning to crisp white sheets and the smell of antiseptic. I've got to get out of here. His legs throbbed as he swung his lower body over the side of the hospital bed, dragging the pole of IV fluid behind him. I need to get out. I can't be like Madoka. He remembered the last time he was at a hospital, after his major flop at the track meet. Cords were taped to his body, and the painkillers were wearing off, leaving an unpleasant throbbing at the base of his skull. The door had banged open and a doctor had quickly stepped in. "<em>Ryugazaki...Madoka?"<em> he quinted as he read his chart. A nurse ran in.

_"No, doctor, this is the other one. Madoka is being transported to the ER right now."_ Rei could feel his heart sink as he heard the words. The doctor still did not realize that Rei was awake.

_"Looked almost dead. I couldn't believe it."_ He flipped through Madoka's chart again. _"He needs emergency surgery."_

_"As you wish."_ the nurse left the room. The dull throb of his head increased as Rei let out a few heart-wrenching sobs. The doctor paused in his analysis of his brother and looked at the boy. _"I'm sorry. This happens sometimes."_

_"Can I see him?" I need to see him. Madoka is all I have left._  
><em>"I would normally say no to this, but since you guys only have each other I guess I can make an exception." The doctor looked at his chart again. "He's in room 306."<em> He had barely finished speaking when an announcement came over the P.A. system.

"CODE BLUE. I REPORT, CODE BLUE IN ROOM 306." Rei's heart almost stopped. "ALL AVAILABLE PERSONNEL TO ROOM 306." The doctor walked briskly to the door and stopped.

_"Do you want to come?"_ He extended a hand to Rei who gratefully took it._ "Just sit down outside his room."_ They came to the open door of Madoka's room. Inside, Rei could get a glimpse of his brother. His body was seizing, jerking around the tubes that held him down. He could see blood, so much blood. The doctor covered the bluenette's eyes. _"We'll try our best."_ he whispered as he set the boy down on a chair outside the room. Rei watched fearfully through the glass, but the pain in his head was too much. He curled up as well as he could on the seat and fell asleep.

When the boy woke up a few hour later, the sun was setting, casting a harsh orange glow in the hallway. The doctor was making his rounds as Rei walked up to him, searching for an answer. The doctor looked down._ "I'm sorry."_ Rei suddenly couldn't breathe. His brother couldn't be dead. _No._ The doctor passed over a piece of paper with writing on it. _"Before he went into shock, he wanted to talk to you, but you were still out cold. I recorded it, but here's a transcription of what he wanted to say. I hope this helps."_

_I'm sorry._ Two words that could hurt you more than any weapon. Words of betrayal. Never again would he see his brother smile and cheer for him. What was Madoka thinking as he died? Was he scared? As a police officer, he was able to acknowledge danger, but not back away from it. Rei's hands shook as he unfolded the paper. Inside was a flash drive._ The recording,_ he mused. He made the slow walk back to his room and cried himself to sleep.

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><p><strong>I'm sorryyyyyy! I didn't mean for it to be that sad...but I just felt the words flow and I just couldn't...gahhh. <strong>

**Anyway. First time that I do two chapters in one day :) I should go study now, I have exams...won't be updating for a month or so**

**Hikaru out~**


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